Braised Lamb Shank - Question regarding vegetables

I have a question about technique with regard to cooking vegetables for long periods of time.

Every recipe I find says to cook the vegetables with the meat (for long durations of time - anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours). However, the idea of eating a carrot that's been cooking for that much time is pretty unappealing.

Instead, always strain out the old vegetables - since it's really just pulp because all the flavor is in the sauce - and add fresh vegetables (carrots, parsnip, fennel, mushrooms) about 20 min before it's done.

I'm just wondering if my technique is common, or if you will, correct/incorrect in anyone's opinion. What do they do in high end restaurants for this dish? Serve the overcooked mulch or add fresh vegetables?

Oh no I do add mirepoix. Always. It's just in the restaurant people can't wait 20 minutes for the lamb shank to finish cooking. When I'm doing it at home I strain and add some nicely cut vegetables when the lamb is pretty much done.

I cook with veges. but the towards end I add a julianne of celert, carrot, onion cook and serve over top, or under the shank.

Chef EdBOver 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...

Chef EdBOver 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...

In all the kitchen im worked in handling braised meat we cook the meat white the vegs ( mire poix) overnight and pick out the meat and strain the braising liquid and use it tho reheat the meat upon order and cook the garnish sepretly. Really think that this is the most common way of dealing whit braised meat in restaurnt high and low end

Why not just strain the liquid from the meat. Remove the fat and reduce it whit some red wine and maybe some herbs, garlic and/or mushrooms. I personally think that its more elegant if you dont puree it.

There's a big difference between braising lamb shank and stewing it. North-Africans make couscous in their "couscoussière", nothing more than a large pot on which fits another large perforated pot. In the lower pot they put the vegs and lambmeat and cover everything with water. The couscous goes in the top pot to steam above the cooking meat/veg.

You may agree with me that this is not braising. It's stewing, where everything is submerged with liquid. North-Africans mostly use large chunks of vegs that will be served with the couscous. A rustic presentation as Chefross points out.

So, using much larger chunks may help somewhat.

Replacing the veg with fresh ones for service is common practice. It gives you the opportunity to get rid of less nice pieces of veg when making the braise/stew. For instance, braising with the green part of leek and replace it with the white part at the last moment is frequently done. In many cases classic chefs will make a "bouquet marmite", sort of a king size veggie bouquet, made with leek, carrot etc., all tied together and loosely attached to an "ear" of the cooking pot. It's easy to remove.

When braising, you only need a little liquid, as opposed to stewing, where the ingredients are submerged. I do think the process of softening the vegs is slower in a braise than in a stew. Many times the veg in a braise get partly caramelized too; delicious, cfr. osso buco with vegs!

I puree the cooked veeg in the sauce so it is naturally thickened, then top or bottom with julianne all on top of red smashed potato

Chef EdBOver 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...

Chef EdBOver 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...

I can't speak for a restaurant presentation but at home when I'm lazy I just serve up the vegetable mush as is and enjoy it. When I'm entertaining or have the time I remove the meat to the side and puree the veggies/sauce with a stick blender. I then strain the sauce and remove some of the fat from ontop. In the meantime I've sauteed some of the same veggies that were in the sauce like carrots, mushrooms, and a bit of onion with some oil or butter and add some of the sauce back in to them. It makes a nicer presentation and the veggies have a fresher taste and feel which is quite necessary when doing a stew. I also stir in a bit of fresh parsley at the end.

In a food service setting we cant be lazy .Home you are paying for the product you make, in a restaurant the public is paying us for the product. Eye appeal to the customer is at least 1/3 of the dish preseted.

Chef EdBOver 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...

Chef EdBOver 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...

The old-school way is to sieve the braising liquid, then use the back of a spoon to press the essences of the old mirepoix into the stock. Reduce and/or use a thickening agent while the braised shanks are resting. Adjust the seasoning.

Another way:

Prepare the braising stock in advance using roasted lamb bones and mirepoix. Strain and reserve.

Brown the lamb, add some tomato paste to the pot, and brown that too. Deglaze with wine, add the reserved stock to half way up the meat (as Chris rightly said) along with a generous helping of thick sliced onions, but no other veg. Bring to the boil, cover and put in a slow or medium oven.

After the lamb is finished and resting, rest the liquid so you can defat it. Add some wine or "cognac" to it, bring up the heat, reduce until it has some structure. You may enrich -- if desired -- with a little cream, creme fraiche, sour cream or rich yogurt. Add the cream near the end of the reduction, and the cultured dairy after reduction and off the heat. Don't forget to adjust the seasoning.

Sauce the lamb, including some of the onions. Pile the reminder on crostini, buttered toast, or other hot bread; and eat the bread along with the lamb as the primary starch. Side with mixed, roasted vegetables. Sprinkle the lamb generously with gremolata, and serve plenty more gremolata in small side dishes.

Another, different way:

Season the lamb with a beef rub, but heavy on the rosemary and garlic. Smoke lamb shanks low and slow. Serve with greens, and creamy smashed potatoes. Plate the potatoes separately, and smother the lamb and greens in a tangy, spicy, tomato based barbecue sauce. No gremolata, but you do need a smoker of some sort.